PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Jesper Parnevik birdied three of his last four holes Friday at Poppy Hills for a share of the lead with Tom Byrum in the Champions Tour’s First Tee Open.

Parnevik had a 5-under 66. Byrum birdied the par-5 18th at Pebble Beach for a 5-under 67.

Parnevik had six birdies and one bogey. The 50-year-old Swede is winless in 12 starts on the 50-and-over tour after winning five times on the PGA Tour.

The 54-year-old Byrum had five birdies in a bogey-free round. He was second last year, a stroke behind John Cook, and is winless in 62 career senior starts.

Mark McNulty was third at 4 under after a 68 at Pebble Beach, the site of the final round.

Colin Montgomerie, Sandy Lyle and Woody Austin shot 68 at Poppy Hills to reach 3 under. Montgomerie is coming off a victory two weeks ago in England in a European Senior Tour event.

Jeff Maggert opened with a 74 at Poppy Hills. He leads the tour with four victories – winning three of his last six starts – and tops the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

Davis Love III had a 75 at Poppy Hills. He won the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship last month to become the third-oldest champion in tour history at 51 years, 4 months, 10 days.

Cook had a 72 at Poppy Hills.

ENDICOTT, N.Y. – Playing with the poise of a champion, Jeff Maggert chalked up yet another win on the Champions Tour.

Maggert won the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open on Sunday for his fourth victory of the year, closing with a 6-under 66 to beat Paul Goydos by two strokes.

Maggert started the final round two shots off the lead and had caught up at the turn after a flurry of five birdies in the first nine holes.

“A great win,” said Maggert, who finished at 14-under 202. “I played just like I wanted to on the front nine, tried to put some distance between me and the rest of the guys and let `em try to catch me.

“Not so many birdies on the back nine, but I kind of hung in there, didn’t make any mistakes and finished it off.”

Maggert won the Regions Tradition in May and the U.S. Senior Open in July, both major championships, and took the Shaw Charity Classic three weeks ago in Canada. Sunday’s victory vaulted him into the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, 119 points ahead of Colin Montgomerie, who skipped the tournament because of commitments in Europe.

The 51-year-old Texan’s second straight 68 on Saturday put him in good position for another triumph, and he took advantage in a big way with six birdies in a bogey-free round. The win was worth $285,000 and boosted Maggert’s earnings for the year to $2,094,976.

Goydos shot a 68. Corey Pavin (69), David Frost (64), Peter Senior (65), Jerry Smith (67) and Ian Woosnam (70) tied for third at 10 under.

Bernhard Langer, the winner last year and third in the Schwab Cup, failed to earn any points. He tied for 20th at 6 under after a 68.

Second-round leader Rod Spittle (74) of Canada, bidding for his second career victory, couldn’t keep the magic going that had placed him atop the leaderboard after rounds of 68 and 66.

Fifty-year-old Scott McCarron (75), who had a 64 on the second round and was tied for second with John Huston to start the day, faltered in his fourth Champions Tour event. He made only two birdies and a triple-bogey 7 at the 15th hole put a damper on his day. Huston finished at 9 under after a closing 72.

As usual, the ninth edition of this tournament came down to the closing holes. Trailing by one shot on a warm, humid afternoon, Goydos hit his tee shot into the large water hazard that lines the left side of the fairway at the difficult par-4 15th hole and had to take a penalty as Maggert paused to watch.

Goydos recovered to make bogey and lose just one shot, then missed a birdie putt inside 8 feet at No. 16 after driving over a cart path to the right of the green.

“That kind of opened a small crack in the door,” Maggert said. “I had a two-shot lead with three (holes) to play. I just tried to finish it off. I was driving the ball well enough to shoot a low score today. I just needed the putter to cooperate. I kind of pulled it all together.”

And Goydos didn’t, especially with his putter. He had 30 putts on each round, negating his strong play off the tee.

“The reality is I just didn’t make enough putts to compete with Jeff,” Goydos said. “I’m not going to look back on this week and say, `Man, that drive at 15 killed me.’ “

Pavin tied Goydos at 12 under with a brilliant pitch for birdie from off the fringe at the par-3 17th. Moments later, the smile on Pavin’s face disappeared when he hit his tee shot into the water hazard at No. 18. He then walked the fairway with head down, frustrated at a lost opportunity.

Maggert stayed out of trouble over the final three holes and was home-free when Goydos missed a birdie putt at No. 18.

Maggert, two shots behind Spittle at the start of play, birdied the first three holes to reach 11 under and added two more before the turn. He chipped to a foot at the par-5 eighth hole and rolled in a 10-foot putt at No. 9.

The surge continued at No. 10 when Maggert rolled in a 40-foot putt to reach 14 under, two shots clear of Goydos.

Goydos, who began the day tied for fourth with Maggert, Woosnam and Stephen Ames, also started with a flurry of five birdies on the front side, but he, too, faltered at No. 7, making bogey. A birdie at the par-5 12th had Goydos back within one of the lead at 13 under.

Now, the Champions Tour takes a three-week break before the final push to the Schwab Cup Championship, and that means more golf for Maggert – with 11-year-old son Jake.

“It’s going to be tough the last five tournaments,” Maggert said. “Those two guys (Montgomerie and Langer) play good every week. This three-week break is going to be good, a little bit of a rest.”

Canadian Stephen Ames shot even-par in the final round to finish at 8-under for a share of 12th place.

ENDICOTT, N.Y. – For Canadian Rod Spittle, just playing on the Champions Tour at age 60 is old hat that never gets old. Now, he finds himself in a most unusual place – alone in the lead for the first time heading to Sunday.

Spittle shot a 6-under 66 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead over tour newcomer Scott McCarron (64) and John Huston (68) after the second round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. Spittle was at 10-under 134.

Huston, the 2011 champion, is trying to become the first two-time winner in the event that started in 2007.

Jeff Maggert (68), Stephen Ames (64), Ian Woosnam (69) and first-round co-leader Paul Goydos (70) were tied for fourth at 8 under, with Corey Pavin (66) and Willie Wood (69) another shot behind.

Spittle, a star at Ohio State in the late 1970s with Joey Sindelar and John Cook, turned pro at age 49 after working as a corporate insurance executive for 25 years. He won the 2010 AT&T Championship, 106 starts ago.

“I was home being a husband and a dad,” said Spittle, who wanted to watch his three children grow up instead of traveling and living out of a suitcase. “We’ve won all of one time out here. It’s very fun to have a chance to win. The reason I still play is I think I can win again.”

Spittle, who had a 68 on the opening round, had four birdies and a bogey on the front nine, barely missing a fifth birdie when his putt at the par-3 seventh hole stopped at the lip and didn’t drop. He had two more birdies and another bogey over the first five holes on the back side, then vaulted into the lead with an eagle at the par-4 No. 16, his chip from 65 yards bouncing twice on the green before hitting the flag and dropping in the hole.

“Folks started jumping up and down, so we guessed right,” Spittle said with a chuckle. “I’ve played very solid this summer, been very consistent the last five or six weeks. We’ll see if we can have some more fun tomorrow.”

Right behind was McCarron, playing just his fourth event on the Champions Tour since turning 50 in July. He made up considerable ground on the leaderboard as he chases his first victory and said playing in the final group with Schwab Cup points leader Colin Montgomerie at the Shaw Charity Classic at Calgary, Alberta in early August did wonders for his game.

“It’s been a long time,” said McCarron, who had three PGA Tour victories, the last at the 2001 BellSouth Classic. “I learned a lot just being in the final group with Colin on Saturday. When you don’t get in tournaments on the PGA Tour, you play once a month, once every two months, and you miss every cut by a shot, that’s not a lot of fun.

“Being out here, knowing there’s no cut, I’m having fun playing golf again,” said McCarron, who has overcome surgery for a bone spur and torn ligaments in his left thumb in 2012 and right elbow surgery in 2006. “I’m healthy, I’m happy and I’m in better shape now than I’ve ever been.”

Montgomerie is not playing for a second straight week because of commitments in Europe, giving Maggert and Bernhard Langer a chance to take over the top spot. Montgomerie has 2,873 points, Maggert 2,707 and Langer 2,604 in what has become a three-way competition with four more events until the Schwab Cup Championship in November.

Langer, who won here last year, plummeted with three bogeys in the last six holes Saturday to finish with his second straight 71 and at 2 under is likely out of contention for a top-10 finish and a chance to gain in the points race.

Maggert isn’t

“I need to be a little more aggressive on the front nine tomorrow, make four or five birdies if I can, and set myself up for a good finish,” said Maggert, who birdied the three par-5s on the front side but also had a pair of bogeys.

A bogey on his final hole after seven birdies put a frown on Pavin’s face. Still, he was just three shots behind and playing well.

“Tomorrow, I’ve got to go out and probably shoot another score like that to have a chance,” said the 55-year-old Pavin, who has 15 PGA Tour wins but just one on the senior tour, three years ago. “We’ll just see. I’m in a position where I can make a run, hopefully.”

Just like the opening round, conditions on the narrow, tree-lined 6,974-yard En-Joie Golf Club course were ideal, with partly cloudy skies, temperatures around 80, and just the hint of a breeze.

ENDICOTT, N.Y. – Before Gene Sauers entered the interview room at En-Joie Golf Club, he grinned as he looked at his round details.

“I’ve always loved this course,” Sauers said. “It’s good for me.”

On Friday, it was very good for him. Sauers shot a 6-under 66 to tie Paul Goydos for the first-round lead in the Champions Tour’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. John Huston, the tournament winner four years ago, was a stroke back along with Ian Woosnam.

Peter Senior, a late addition to the field, was another shot back and tied for fifth with Bob Friend, Steve Jones, Rod Spittle, Jeff Maggert, and Willie Wood, who won here in 2012. Defending champion Bernhard Langer had a 71.

John Cook was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. He made an eight at No. 16 and signed for a seven.

Sauers had four birdies on the front nine and three on the back, his lone blemish on the day a bogey at the par-3 seventh when he drove into a greeenside bunker and couldn’t get up and down. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation on the short and narrow tree-lined course. He rolled in a pair of 10-foot birdie putts that broke left to right at Nos. 13 and 17.

“I’ve always had trouble putting. Now, it’s the best part of my game,” he said.

The 53-year-old Sauers, winless on the Champions Tour, was the 54-hole leader at last year’s U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National. But he missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole to fall into a playoff and lost to Colin Montgomerie. Still, he finished just inside the top 20 on the money list, his highest standing ever, compliments of three top-three finishes in his first five tournaments.

“I’ve been playing pretty well,” Sauers said. “I just haven’t got the job done. I just have to keep fighting.”

With his short game in top form, Goydos had four birdies on the front nine and another at No. 10 as he converted three putts inside 6 feet and two others within 6 inches. A 25-foot birdie putt at No. 17 forged a tie for the lead.

“From tee to green, I played as well as I have all year,” Goydos said. “It was a nice start.”

Huston, who is vying to become the first repeat winner of the event, had eight birdies, a bogey and a double bogey. Despite hitting just 7 of 14 fairways, Huston moved into contention with his play on the firm greens. He needed just 26 putts.

Michael Allen had four birdies in a five-hole span on the front nine and tacked on two more birdies on the first three holes along the back side to reach 5 under. A three-putt bogey at the par-4 11th hole began a slide, and Allen followed with bogeys at Nos. 14 and 15 to fall back into a tie for 11th at 3 under with Kevin Sutherland and eight other players.

Sutherland, who became the first player in Champions Tour history to shoot a 59 when he accomplished the feat here a year ago in the second round, had an up-and-down day with five birdies and two bogeys in 69.

The round was played under ideal partly cloudy conditions, with temperatures in the 70s and just the hint of a breeze. Kenny Perry said the 6,974-yard course was as firm as he’d ever seen it and predicted a bunch of low scores.

They just weren’t as low as expected. The first-round leader in each of the previous five Champions Tour tournaments at En-Joie shot 65.

Sauers wasn’t complaining.

“There’s always low rounds out there,” Sauers said. “You’ve just got to give yourself opportunities.”

Among those who failed to break par were Tom Purtzer (74), Mark Calcavecchia (75), and Woody Austin (77).

Austin, who entered the tournament ranked ninth in points and has six top 10 finishes in 2015, had five bogeys and a double-bogey 6 along with two birdies as he hit only seven fairways. A year ago, he finished tied for second here with Allen.

Montgomerie, the Schwab Cup points leader, is not playing for a second straight week because of commitments in Europe, giving Maggert and Langer a chance to take over the top spot. Montgomerie has 2,873 points, Maggert 2,707 and Langer 2,604 in what has become a three-way competition with only four more events until the Schwab Cup Championship in November.

St. Catharines, Ont., native Rod Spittle carded five birdies en route to a 4-under 68. Stephen Ames finished the day at even-par.

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. – Billy Andrade won the Boeing Classic on Sunday for his second Champions Tour victory and first in an individual event, overcoming trouble early in the final round for a one-stroke victory.

Andrade closed with a 1-over 73 to finish at 9-under 207 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. He opened with rounds of 69 and 65 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round.

The 51-year-old Andrade teamed with Joe Duran to win the Legends of Golf in April for his first Champions Tour title. Andrade won four times on the PGA Tour.

Andrade never lost the lead and held off a large chase pack that included Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples and Mark O’Meara.

Langer was second after a 71. Couples (69), O’Meara (68), Guy Boros (68) and Fran Quinn (69) tied for third at 7 under.

Andrade’s 73 was the highest final-round score by a tour winner since Roger Chapman had a 1-over 71 in the 2012 Senior PGA Championship.

Andrade was at 11 under until he got to the fourth where he made triple bogey on the par 4. Andrade’s tee shot went out of bounds, he later needed to take a drop out of the woods and chipped in from off the green to make seven.

Andrade had a bogey on the seventh hole and fell into a tie for the lead, but birdies at Nos. 8 and 12 gave him a three-shot lead and he parred the final six holes to hang on.

Langer started the day in second place, but went 15 holes between birdies before dropping a short putt at the 17th to get back to 7 under. He reached the par-5 18th in two, but his eagle putt slid past the hole and Andrade two-putted to complete the victory. Langer finished in the top three for his fifth straight event and his third straight second place finish.

Couples, the hometown favorite, moved into contention after making eagle on the par 5 eighth, but bogeyed the 11th after his tee shot found the thick rough left of the fairway. He recovered with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to reach 6 under but missed a short birdie putt at the 15th and bogeyed the 17th. Couples and O’Meara both eagled the 18th to finish at 7 under.

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. – Billy Andrade made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole for a 7-under 65 and a three-stroke lead Saturday after the second round of the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic.

The 51-year-old Andrade had eight birdies – three in a row on Nos. 13-15 – and a bogey to reach 10-under 134 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. The four-time PGA Tour winner teamed with Joe Duran to win the Legends of Golf in April for his first Champions Tour title.

Bernhard Langer and Jeff Freeman were tied for second. Langer, the 2010 winner, had a 66, and Freeman shot 68.

Langer, who turns 58 Thursday, birdied five of the final six holes. The German star is trying to tie Gil Morgan for third place on the tour’s career victory list with 25.

Freeman got into the tournament as an alternate. He has three top-10 finishes in 33 Champions Tour starts.

Fred Couples, from Seattle, was tied for fourth at 4 under after a 71.

Rod Spittle of St. Catharines, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent with a share of ninth-place. The 60-year-old carded a 3-under 69 and is part of an eight-way tie. Stephen Ames sits tied for 32nd following a 74 while Jim Rutledge finished the day with a 79.

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. – Larry Mize birdied the par-5 18th hole for a 5-under 67 and a two-stroke lead over Fred Couples and four others Friday after the first round of the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic.

The 56-year-old Mize had a bogey-free round at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. The 1987 Masters champion won the 2010 Montreal Championship for his lone title on the 50-and-over tour.

“I am pleasantly surprised,” Mize said. “I’ve been working hard to get things turned around. I was optimistic I could have a good week.”

Couples, trying to win his hometown event for the first time, was tied for second at 69 with Billy Andrade, Carlos Franco, Jeff Freeman and Chien Soon Lu.

Mize hasn’t had a top-10 finish in more than two years. He said “a little bit of everything” has been holding him back.

“More ball-striking than anything,” he said. “I guess you could say I’ve gotten my swing out of whack and I’ve just been having a hard time getting it back going again.”

Couples, from Seattle, played in the featured group with Bernhard Langer and Jeff Maggert, coming off his third victory of the season two weeks ago in Alberta. Couples, who shot a 59 Wednesday in a warmup round at the nearby Broadmoor Country Club, birdied Nos. 10, 11 and 15 also closed with three straight pars.

“I think the birdies on 10 and 11 kept the round where I got under and stayed there,” Couples said. “The greens were beautiful, rock hard, which everyone kind of likes. Larry Mize had a phenomenal round. You can tell because 15th-18th place is 1 under. That’s a long cry from 67. A 69 here before was a really nice score.”

The field average of 73.35 was the second highest for any round in the 11-year history of the event.

Couples used the same putter he had for his 59. He said it was a club that had been sitting around at a friend’s house.

“I’ve been known to leave clubs around,” he said. “I left that one there. I saw it and we went out and played. I left mine (old one) in the room. I didn’t think I could give up on it after shooting a 59. It’ll be in my bag (this weekend).”

Langer shot a 70, and Maggert had a 72.

Defending champion Scott Dunlap opened with a 74.

CALGARY, Alta. – Jeff Maggert won the Shaw Charity Classic on Sunday for his third Champions Tour title of year, birdieing five of the last six holes on the front nine in a four-stroke victory.

The 51-year-old Texan, two strokes behind playing partners Miguel Angel Jimenez and Colin Montgomerie entering the round, closed with a 6-under 64 at Canyon Meadows to finish at 16-under 194.

“I feel a little fortunate, obviously,” Maggert said. “I really thought Colin and Miguel would play some solid rounds. You know, the golf course, we had a little wind today, so it didn’t play as easy as it did some of the other rounds.

“I stuck to my game plan on the front nine. I wanted to make as many birdies as I can. Colin had a little hiccup there on the ninth green and all of a sudden I’m walking off the ninth hole with a nice big lead, which was unexpected.”

Maggert added birdies on the par-5 11th and par-3 14th, dropped a stroke on the par-4 15th and parred the final three holes.

“The course played tough at the end,” Maggert said. “The wind came up and 13, 15, 16, 17 all played tough at the end. The only hiccup there was on 15 with the three-putt.”

The three-time PGA Tour winner also won major titles this year in the Regions Tradition and U.S. Senior Open. He won the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic last year in his debut on the 50-and-over tour.

“A late bloomer maybe,” Maggert said. “Twenty-five years of playing on the tour and I had a lot of close calls, a lot of chances to win a few majors. I thought I would have won a dozen times on my career, but I didn’t. So in some regards I feel like I’ve still got a lot to prove to myself and my golf game.”

Maggert earned $352,500 to take the money lead with $1,805,176 and moved into second place behind Montgomerie in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup race.

Montgomerie was second after a 70.

“I felt a bit dizzy and a bit weird all day actually,” Montgomerie said. “I don’t know why I would feel that way. I don’t know. I didn’t play well at all, but I managed to summon up some sort of energy to get it up-and-down at 16, 17 and 18.”

He’s scheduled to play in the PGA Championship next week at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

“I don’t feel very well, so I’m going to rest the next couple days and look forward to hopefully playing in the U.S. PGA,” Montgomerie said.

Mark O’Meara and Scott Dunlop tied for third at 11 under. Dunlap had a 64, and O’Meara shot 66.

Fred Couples, the winner last year, finished with a 68 to tie for fifth at 10 under.

Jimenez had a 74 to drop into a tie for 12th at 8 under. He matched the course record Saturday with a 61.

Canadian Stephen Ames finished T5 after a final-round of 3-under 67.

CALGARY, Alta. – Miguel Angel Jimenez eagled the par-5 18th hole Saturday to match the course record of 9-under 61 and tie Colin Montgomerie for the second-round lead in the Shaw Charity Classic.

With wife Susanne working her first tournament at his caddie, Jimenez matched Fred Couples’ course record set last year.

“My caddie needed 19 working days to get a visa to come here and that’s the reason he’s not here,” Jimenez said. “My wife is a good player, a single handicap, too, and she knows about golf. She said from the beginning, `If he’s not coming, I would love to caddie for you.’ `OK, fine. No problem.'”

The 51-year-old Spanish player made seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch in the middle of the round. He set up his closing eagle with a 7-wood to 9 feet.

“I played very well,” Jimenez said. “I hit very solid from green to tee and, in the beginning, the ball not like to drop in the hole. But then I start to make birdies. … It’s going to be a very tight finish tomorrow, that’s for sure.”

Montgomerie, the first-round leader after a 62, birdied the 18th for a 66 to join Jimenez at 12-under 128 at Canyon Meadows. The Scot had an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys.

“Disappointing the way I finished,” Montgomerie said. “I missed three putts in a row there at 16, 17 and 18. I three-putted the 16th for a bogey and I missed a very makeable putt at 17 for a birdie and I missed a very makeable eagle putt at the last. So, very disappointing finish, to be honest.”

Jimenez won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii in January. He also won the Greater Gwinnett Championship last year in his first start on the Champions Tour.

“Obviously, Miguel had a great day as I did yesterday,” Montgomerie said. “It’s set up for a very exciting finish.”

Jimenez and Montgomerie are travelling together to the PGA Championship after the tour tournament.

“Yeah, we’re sharing a plane tomorrow as well to Milwaukee to get there in time,” Montgomerie said. “I know him very well. Obviously, played on many Ryder Cup teams with him and he’s a great competitor.”

Montgomerie successfully defended his title in the Senior PGA Championship in May for his third major victory on the 50-and-over tour.

Jeff Maggert, the Regions Tradition and U.S. Senior Open winner, was 10 under after a 63. He played alongside Jimenez and Couples.

“Sometimes when the guys in your group are making a lot of birdies, we all kind of feed off each other,” Maggert said. “I made birdies early. Then Miguel made three or four birdies out of five holes, so we just kind of kept each other going.”

Defending champion Couples was tied for fourth at 8 under after a 65. Last year, Couples chipped in for eagle for a 61 in the final round, then beat Billy Andrade with a tap-in birdie on the first playoff hole.

“I’m in the same spot I was last year,” Couples said. “I’ve just got to go out and freewheel it and try and shoot a good score. Last year was a crazy score like Miguel’s today. Am I out of it? No, but I don’t think Miguel’s going to struggle at all.”

Woody Austin also was 8 under after a 64.

Mark O’Meara, Tom Byrum, Michael Allen and Canadian Stephen Ames were 7 under. Byrum had a 66, and O’Meara shot 67, and Allen and Ames 68.

CALGARY, Alberta – Colin Montgomerie birdied three of the final four holes for an 8-under 62 and the first-round lead Friday in the Champions Tour’s Shaw Charity Classic.

Playing alongside defending champion Fred Couples and Miguel Angel Jimenez, Montgomerie had nine birdies and a bogey at Canyon Meadows.

“I knew that if I kept up with them or kept around them I was doing OK, Montgomerie said about his playing partners. “All in all, I got the most out of the round. I’m not one of these guys who’s going to say it should have been 59. For God’s sake, I got the most out of it.”

The Scot successfully defended his title in the Senior PGA Championship in May for his third major victory on the 50-and-over tour.

“Week in and week out you’ve got to play your best, there’s no question,” Montgomerie said. “If you don’t play your best, you will not win, as simple as that.”

Australia’s Peter Senior was a stroke back.

“I holed a couple of big putts in the first four holes, so it got me going and I played a little bit better,” Senior said. “Played pretty good on the back side, missed a couple of short ones on the last two. … But all in all, I haven’t played well for a long time, so it’s just nice to actually put a score on the board.”

Corey Pavin was tied for third at 65 with Scott McCarron, Tommy Armour III, Michael Allen, Skip Kendall and Canada’s Stephen Ames.

Couples and Jimenez each shot 67. Last year, Couples chipped in for eagle for a course-record 61, then beat Billy Andrade with a tap-in birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

“I played OK,” Couples said. “I watched a great round.”

The players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways because of wet conditions.

“Tomorrow, just got to shoot really low,” Couples said. “I don’t know if we’re going to play the ball up or down, but hopefully we don’t touch it. It’s not like Monty misses fairways or anything, but it just makes the scoring a little harder to not clean it. I need to shoot 66 or 65.

“If they tee them up, I think a lot of people will shoot the same score. But the course was perfect today. It was a little wet, but Monty played phenomenal golf.”